Klay Thompson fantasy basketball owners may want to look away this week.
The Golden State Warriors star Thompson did not play during Friday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the latter end of a back-to-back set. It was Thompson’s second time of the young NBA season sitting out a game.
Speaking on Thompson’s absence, Warriors coach Steve Kerr made some concerning comments about the plan with him for the rest of the season.
“Klay may not play in a back-to-back all year,” said Kerr, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “He didn’t last year because of two straight season-ending injuries … Ultimately, the player’s health is the No. 1 factor in our team’s success and even in our fans’ satisfaction in the long run. We want to keep guys healthy and going throughout the season.”
Thompson, who turns 33 in a few months, debuted last season in January. Thus, there were only eight back-to-back sets for Thompson to sit out of (all of which he did). But it is a little more worrisome that, almost a year later, Thompson is still not ready to play in a single back-to-back (of which the Warriors have 15 in total this year).
Now obviously, the cautious approach makes sense given Thompson’s age, his extensive injury history, and the need to stay crisp for the postseason. Thompson has also looked decent in the playing time that he has gotten this season with 15.0 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in just 26.8 minutes per game. But Thompson has already sounded frustrated with the way that the Warriors are handling him lately, and the competitor in him might not like this latest development either.
